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Remarks by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: Co-Chairs, Council members, Colleagues, and friends First, allow me to wish you a Happy Anniversary. As our instrument turns 30, let us celebrate its great achievements. Celebrate above all thirty years of cooperation. Thirty years of working together in tackling the most pressing global environmental issues. Our evaluation offices have always done a good job in appreciating the effectiveness of our projects and programmes. But more than just a funding mechanism, the Global Environmental Facility turns out to also be a knowledge hub. A science advisor. A rallying point where different constituencies, big and small meet, exchange views; get the latest information about successful and less successful environmental projects and programmes. The GEF did not solve all problems. It could not. But over the last 30 years, across generations of projects, we have made remarkable progress, though much remains to be done. In fact, the environmental crisis is not subsiding. Quite the contrary. We are at a moment of great challenge for the health of the people and the planet. Rates of climate change along with land and other environmental degradation and loss and not slowing down.  We are far from delivering on our commitments to conserve, sustainably manage and restore the land and its terrestrial ecosystems. But we are also at a moment of promise. The promise of land and nature is finally being recognized. There is a better understanding of the potential of land to help stabilize and then build forward better. People appreciate the idea of putting the natural world at the heart of our plans. This demand has now been made quite visible in the streets. More and more visible in voting ballots. As we know, change takes time. I personally think the time has come for humanity to turn the tide. As we are about to replenish the Facility, I invite the GEF community to embrace this momentum. To embrace the promise of land and nature to deliver multiple benefits to the people and to the planet. And then deliver on that promise with the right level of ambition and with the right level of resources. Just two days ago, the President of the UN General Assembly convened a High-level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought. The session was attended by Heads of State and Government, Ministers, scientists, civil society representatives. And by the UN leadership at large. The sense of ambition on the stewardship of land is palpable. There was a strong push for land restoration. Restoring degraded lands is an immediate and concrete climate action. It reduces emissions and removes carbon from the atmosphere. Restored lands, by serving as carbon sinks, contribute to detoxifying the oceans, thus reducing their acidification. Restoring degraded land helps vulnerable communities adapt to climate change by reducing the impacts of drought, flood, and other climate-related shocks. Keeping the land and soil healthy is one of the best ways to prevent biodiversity loss both on land and at sea. For leaders and decision makers focusing now on the post pandemic economic recovery, land restoration also makes economic sense. Closing the productivity gap on land could boost agricultural production. At a time of great need this would be boosting food security, job creation, empowering women and advancing rural development. Investing in land is a smart and effective choice for quick and positive impact. Ten years after the GEF Council opened a focal area on land degradation, I trust you are seeing land as an integrator of many other focal areas. This is why, in my opinion, the synergies agenda should be the new normal in GEF 8 programming. We cannot continue to work in silos. With this in mind, in a changing climate with more droughts and floods expected, additional measures will be needed to address the growing phenomenon of drought. I followed closely the deliberations of the last Council and interventions on drought. I support the idea expressed by some Council members calling on the GEF to be more assertive and attentive to the ravages that droughts are causing to the planet, to societies and to the economies of affected countries. During the upcoming cycle, the GEF community should consider investing in early-warning systems, preparedness, vulnerability, and risk assessment as well as drought risk mitigation. Co-Chairs, Parties are asking for more resources to be allocated to fighting land degradation. In many ways, this makes sense. Not only from the environmental point of view. But also economically and politically. In the Decade of Action on SDGs and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.  In a way, there has never been a more important time to invest in restoring degraded lands. Restoring degraded land means feeding a growing population; reducing unwanted migration. Averting conflicts over access to scarce land and water. While protecting nature. Please count on the UNCCD to play its part in the replenishment of the GEF. We stand ready to contribute in any way we can to help the world fulfil its multiple promises to protect people and the planet in a prosperous and equitable world. Thank you.

This year's  Land for Life Award goes to Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India, a unique concept of Shyam Sunder Jyani, Associate Professor for Sociology at in Rajasthan that relates a tree with a family, making it  a green "family member." Placing a family at the cornerstone of society, the concept ensures the success of any social campaign. Familial Forestry means transferring the care of tree and environment in the family so that a tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness. More than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan in over 2.5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers.  "The journey of desertland Rajasthan towards a lush green Rajasthan has been a dream for me, and Familial Forestry is my dedicated endeavor in this direction." — ShyamSunder Jyani, founder of Familial Forestry. 2021 Land for Life Special Mention  The special nomination has been awarded by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw to the Global Landscapes Forum in recognition of the exceptional work as one the world’s largest knowledge-led platforms on sustainable and inclusive landscapes.  "Land degradation and desertification is a multi-faceted problem where single sectoral approaches won’t work. By working together, across sectors and regions we can restore the balance between people, animals, and the environment to sustain productivity in these ecosystems, while supporting the aspirations of the next generation. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with UNCCD to restore and protect the biodiversity and livelihoods of the world’s drylands." — Robert Nasi, Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research, which leads GLF together in collaboration with co-founders UNEP, World Bank and Charter Members. The Land for Life Award ceremony will take place in August at the Eighth Kubuqi International Desert Forum in China. The award winner will also have an opportunity to present their work at the UNCCD Fifteenth Conference of the Parties UNCCD COP15. Learn more: Land for Life Award Land for Life Programme Familial Forestry Greater Sahel call to fund 5 new GLFx chapters

Humanity is totally dependent on the natural world and the land we live on. We have transformed nearly three quarters of the Earth’s ice-free land to meet our demands for food, raw materials, and homes. It is not sustainable. We are putting our land under enormous pressure

Climate change, overuse and conversion for agriculture, cities and infrastructure mean that one fifth of the planet’s land area is degraded. This damage, which also drives drought and desertification, harms the livelihoods of almost half the planet’s population. However, as much as one billion hectares can be restored over the next 10 years if there is political will. The world leaders set the direction for the coming decade at the at a High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought convened by the President of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir. “We are facing a triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, and land is at the centre of all three,” said UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed at the meeting. She laid out four priorities for the coming decade: Raising ambition on land restoration, including aiming to end illegal deforestation; investing in land-based solutions to sustain COVID-19 recovery efforts and tackle the climate crisis. Doing this, Ms. Mohammed said, is possible while creating strong economic returns; getting the financing right to scale-up land restoration and translate commitments into action; and measure our land resources and ecosystems to value them so that natural capital – our land, forests, wetlands and other ecosystems -- are recognized in economic reporting and that our natural assets are maintained like our economic assets. “Put simply, a land-centred approach to COVID-19 recovery can change the world,” said Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Ibrahim Thiaw. “So far, the world's largest economies have already spent USD 16 trillion in post-covid recovery efforts.  Investing a fifth of that amount, collectively, per year, could shift the world’s economies to a sustainability trajectory. Within a decade, the global economy could create close to 400 million new green jobs, generating over USD 10 trillion in annual business value.” The meeting comes against a backdrop of increasing concern about land loss and soil degradation. A report released in early June by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency draws up a stark picture if urgent change to current land-use policies is not undertaken. A scenario of no change will mean an increase in agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America to meet growing food demand, leading to 300 million hectares of land being cleared by 2050. This would lead to a decline in global biodiversity by 6 per cent, a loss of 32 gigatons of carbon to the atmosphere and a marked decline in soil health and its ability to hold water, leading to increased chances of drought and floods. However, through a combination of restoration and protection, an improvement in land management using known practices with proven results would enable the world to restore more than 5 billion hectares of land, leading to increased crop yields, improved water-holding capacity of soil and a significant reduction in the release of greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon storage. It would also reduce loss of biodiversity, and overall increase income for farmers. This  ambitious plan – in line with the Sustainable Development Goals – to protect 30 per cent more of the land by 2030, could reduce biodiversity loss by nearly one third, see a 9 per cent increase in global agricultural yields, and dramatically increase carbon absorption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to the same report. “These are not utopian scenarios,” UNCCD’s Ibrahim Thiaw, said. “It is fully within our abilities to reach this most ambitious scenario. But it takes determination among the world’s leaders to do so.” Related links: About the event General Assembly of the United Nations About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international agreement on good land stewardship. It helps people, communities, and countries to create wealth, grow economies and secure enough food and water and energy, by ensuring land users have an enabling environment for sustainable land management. Through partnerships, the Convention’s 197 Parties set up robust systems to manage land degradation and drought promptly and effectively. Good land stewardship based on a sound policy and science helps integrate and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds resilience to climate change and prevents biodiversity loss. Land also plays a key role in the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, securing rural livelihoods and creating green jobs, supporting community resilience and maintaining the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. Contacts: Ms. Wagaki Wischnewski | email: wwischnewski@unccd.int | phone +49 173 268 7593 Ms. Katheryn Jimenez | email: kjimenez@unccd.int

Statement by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: Land sustains life on the planet.   Land provides us with food, clean water, and energy.  Healthy land is the basis for our own health. Yet, one in five hectares of land is no longer usable.  Land degradation is affecting 40% of the world’s population and costing more than 10% of the annual global GDP. As I speak, at least one million people are facing starvation because of drought.  At least 24 countries are hit by drought in 2021 only.  From 1998 to 2017, droughts have affected at least 1.5 billion people, and led to economic losses of USD 124 billion across the globe.  Land-based solutions provide us with an opportunity to recover better.  Build a more inclusive and sustainable world.  Using the Sustainable Development Agenda  and the Paris Agreement as our blueprint.  Land restoration has co-benefits with all Sustainable Development Goals and must be at the centre of our efforts, providing cost-effective solutions for green recovery at scale.   Today’s Dialogue has been a pivotal moment.  Our next steps should take us to the right direction. From what we heard today from Member States, from the UN leadership and various other stakeholders, we are in a position to capture key points expressed and make the following call:   First, building ambition on land stewardship among different stakeholders as we move into the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.  I believe the general thread from this UNGA Dialogue supports multiple regional large-scale restoration programmes.  The Dialogue underscores the need to adapt our production and consumption patterns if we are to insulate our economies and our societies from further catastrophic degradation of our natural capital.  The Dialogue comforts the G20 Global Initiative to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040. And points to the direction of the recent G7 Summit.  Second,  investing in land-based solutions to sustain COVID-19 recovery efforts, especially in rural economies, as they are win-wins for stimulus investment.  Land restoration is low tech, democratic, accessible to all.  Land restoration is one of the cheapest solutions to the climate crisis and is a foundation for a steady post-COVID economic recovery.  Third, helping us get the financing right to scale up land restoration and translate those commitments into concrete, immediate action.  Investing in land restoration secures food production; combats poverty; reduces risks of unwanted migration and insecurity.  Investing in ecosystem restoration is securing sustainable economic recovery, as at least 40% of the global GDP depends on nature. Land restoration is not divisive. It can unite us. Rich and poor. North and South. Governments and Civil Society. Public and Private Sector.  Our youth and women are at the front lines of action. We ought to work together: reconnecting people and nature through a high-level ambition on land stewardship.  For the sake of the planet. For our own sake.    We have a window of opportunity to champion a new restoration narrative and bring back nature into balance for all.  Both now and for the generations to come.  That’s Making Peace with Nature.  Thank you.

Statement by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: Excellency Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellency Mr. Prime Minister of India, COP. 14 President, Excellency Mr. President of the Economic and Social Council, Excellency Ms. Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,  Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association of Fulani Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad. Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives, Ladies and gentlemen,  Let me first thank the President of the UN General Assembly for convening this historic meeting, a milestone in the life of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.  This is the second time the UN General Assembly has dedicated a full day to the issue of desertification, land degradation and drought, a phenomenon that is affecting more than 3 billion people in the world.  In the insightful remarks of our previous speakers, you heard why it is so important to increase global ambition to protect, manage and restore the land. You heard that pandemic recovery packages and this year’s planned climate and biodiversity summit are powerful tools to promote healthy land. You have heard that the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is another major opportunity. I will not re-tread the same ground. Instead, let me give you some insights from recent UNCCD research on how we can use these opportunities to build better forward with land-centred solutions. Put simply, a land-centred approach to COVID-19 recovery can change the world. For around USD 2.7 trillion per year, within the scope of recovery spending, we could transform the world’s economies. Through restoring natural ecosystems. Through rewarding agriculture that keeps soils healthy. Through incentivizing business models that prioritize renewable, recyclable or biodegradable products and services. Within a decade, the global economy could create close to 400 million new green jobs, generating over USD 10 trillion in annual business value.  All of this, while delivering the benefits to nature, the climate and human health that my esteemed UN colleagues covered. To do this, we need coherence, alignment and cooperation in three areas of policy response. The first area is jobs. Taking advantage of quick-start initiatives and shovel-ready projects will create jobs that will help jumpstart recovery efforts.  Creating permanent work in protected areas management, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, green infrastructure and ecosystem restoration would create many more stable, decent jobs – especially for youth and women. These are the kind of jobs that will take us forwards, not backwards. The second area is finance. To spend in the right places, we need coherent policies. We can repurpose subsidies, investments and other financial mechanisms to reward communities for protecting and regenerating natural capital. Governments can make land restoration attractive to private investors through regulations and incentives.  Green business solutions include public-private partnerships and innovative finance mechanisms such as private equity, bankable nature solutions, debt swaps and blended finance. The third area is governance and cooperation. Strengthening land tenure and rights would quickly create new green jobs through value addition, economies of scale and greater market access. Meanwhile, research has shown that areas managed by indigenous peoples and local communities have encountered less environmental damage. We must empower them. At the same time, we must strengthen international governance and cooperation. We need to integrate land degradation neutrality initiatives and drought plans into international processes such as the Paris Agreement and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. We need global partnerships that allow us to share best practices, cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models. We need a new social contract that engages all sections of society to mobilize collective action on the land. Excellencies, the land cannot solve all of humanity’s problems. We still need to fully decarbonize our economies, rethink how we produce and consume resources and so much more.  But if we protect, manage and restore the land, the benefits will be immense. We will accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. Reduce the risk of future pandemics. Slow climate change and protect biodiversity. Free millions of people from poverty and hunger.  Help to create a world of peace, prosperity and equity. You hold the power to make these benefits a reality. I urge you to begin using it, starting today. Thank you.